Yakima City Manager Terminates City Police Chief Dominic Rizzi

The Yakima City Council will soon begin the search for a new Yakima police chief. A news release from the city says Yakima City Manager Cliff Moore announced today that the tenure of Dominic Rizzi, Jr. as Yakima police chief is ending. Moore gave Rizzi a 60-day notice Monday to the final day of his employment.

“I have determined that it is time for new leadership to be put in place at the Yakima Police Department,” said Moore. “The YPD is constantly striving to improve. Now is the time for that effort to move to the next level, and to accomplish that goal the department needs new ideas, fresh perspectives, and a renewed sense of energy from its chief,” said Moore.

Rizzi’s employment agreement with the city requires a 60-day period from the date of notification of termination of the agreement to the final day of employment. Moore provided Rizzi with that notification on Monday.

YPD Capt. Gary Jones will serve as interim chief while a national search is conducted to find Rizzi’s successor.

Rizzi began his tenure as Yakima police chief in May 2012. He was born and raised in Chicago and spent more than 25 years moving up the chain of command in that city’s police department. He began his career with the Chicago Police Department in 1987. Prior to joining the Chicago PD, Rizzi served a three-year stint as a U.S. Army MP and spent about six months with the University of Chicago Police Department.

The Yakima police chief oversees a department that includes about 150 commissioned positions and about 50 non-commissioned positions. The total 2018 YPD budget is just over $29 million.